02 October,2010 08:18 AM IST | | Agencies
Full moons are often associated with tides, insanity and creatures such as werewolves, but it turns out they're also good for brewing beer.
In Peruwelz, a small, sleepy town in southern Belgium, a family-owned brewery has produced its first batch of specialist beer brewed by the light of a full autumnal moon Paix-Dieu.
It isn't so much a nod to mythology as a recognition of nature's impact on the science of brewing.
"We made several tests and noticed that the fermentation was more vigorous, more active," explained Roger Caulier, the owner of Brewery Caulier, which began in the 1930s when his grandfather started selling homemade beer from a handcart.
"The end product was completely different, stronger, with a taste lasting longer in the mouth," he said.
The full moon speeds up the fermentation process, shortening it to five days from seven, which adds an extra punch to the beer without making it harsh, according to connoisseurs.
"It goes down very well, no problem at all," said Joseph Francois, a journalist and beer expert who has tasted the brew.
The idea came to Caulier after he visited a friend in Alsace, who told him about how he planned his entire production schedule according to the lunar calendar.
Caulier eventually came up with a nine-step process. Either way, he's hoping that Paix-Dieu proves a hit.
